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| Origins Available: |
| | England |
When the ancestors of the Kellems family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived at Kelham in Nottinghamshire, a parish northwest of Newark. The name Kellems is derived from the Old Norse expression for at the ridges. It is most commonly found in Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.
The surname Kellems was first found in Nottinghamshire. "A Norman family, who derive their name from Kelham, near Newark-upon-Trent, co. Nottingham, where they were seated at an early period. They still bear in their arms three covered cups, in allusion to the office of cup-bearer to Alan, earl of Richmond, the Conqueror's son-in-law, which was held by their ancestor. " 1
This was the place that Charles I. spent his last night before he gave himself up to the Scottish army, who encamped on the spot in May, 1646. 2
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kellems research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kellems History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Kellems has been recorded under many different variations, including Kellam, Kelham and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Kellems Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In the United States, the name Kellems is the 16,877th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Kellemss were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America: